Man convicted of sex abuse of 9-year-old girls Sentence could total 90 years

October 10, 1993|By Alan J. Craver | Alan J. Craver,Staff Writer

A man was convicted in Howard Circuit Court last week of sexual offenses and child abuse for assaulting two girls in 1991 while he lived in an Ellicott City apartment complex.

Patrick Leo Cunningham, 54, now of Owings Mills, could receive prison terms totaling 90 years on his convictions in the incidents involving the girls, who were both 9 years old at the time. He will be sentenced Nov. 16.

A jury of seven men and five women deliberated about six hours Thursday before convicting Cunningham of two counts each of second-degree sexual offenses, perverted sexual practices and child abuse.

The jurors acquitted Cunningham of 16 other counts.

Cunningham, a warehouse manager for Comcast Cablevision in

Baltimore County, did not testify during the four-day trial.

Prosecutors say he performed sex acts on both girls at a creek on July 1, 1991, near the Normandy Woods apartment complex, where he lived.

The names of the girls and their parents will not be published to protect the identity of the victims.